ECOWAS standby force ready to go to Niger: official

STORY: ECOWAS standby force ready to go to Niger: official DATELINE: Aug. 20, 2023 LENGTH: 00:03:10 LOCATION: Accra CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of participants of ECOWAS defense chiefs' meeting 2. SOUNDBITE (English): ABDEL-FATAU MUSAH, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security 3. various of defense chiefs' meeting STORYLINE: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) standby force is ready to go to Niger any time the order is given, a senior ECOWAS official said here late Friday. Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, made the comment during a press briefing after a two-day meeting of the ECOWAS defense chiefs in Ghana's capital Accra. Musah said all the necessary preparations had concluded, and the defense chiefs would present their report to the leaders of the subregional bloc for further instruction. SOUNDBITE (English): ABDEL-FATAU MUSAH, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security "We ha